Video of Moroccan man dying while pinned down by police sparks anger in Italy
The death of a Moroccan man as he was detained by Italian police in Bologna has sparked anger and a formal investigation.
The man, identified by Italian media as Moroccan -born Abderrahim Fakir, died Sunday after officers attempted to place him under arrest in the northern Italian city.
According to the Bologna police, officers responded to reports of a man behaving erratically and damaging parked cars. In a statement, the police said Fakir resisted the two officers, who sprayed him with pepper spray in an effort to subdue him.
Videos recorded by witnesses from nearby apartment buildings, shared widely on Italian television and social media, show the two officers and a third man restraining Fakir on the ground, face down, after he was handcuffed.
Fakir can be heard repeatedly calling out for help and pleading for the officers to stop before he becomes unresponsive. Members of an emergency medical team are also visible, standing back during the struggle.
After Fakir falls silent, the officers finish binding his ankles and the medical personnel turn his body over and appear to check for vital signs.